Pune, India. March 17, 2022
Dr. Rahul Vishwanath Karad, Executive President, of the MIT (Maharashtra Institute Of Technology) World Peace University and RFBF President Brian Grim signed a years-long joint research agreement today at their university of 60,000 students, including 20,000 graduate students.
The aim of the research is to study and report on the socio-economic impact of India’s rich religious pluralism. This includes looking at the contributions of the Hindu majority as well as India’s diverse faiths, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and many others.
This builds on similar studies the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation has done in the US and Canada. India is the next logical country to study, given that it is both the rising economy of the 21st century and the most religiously dynamic country on earth.
Dr. Karad celebrated the interdisciplinary nature of the research, involving the economics, business, religion and government departments of MIT World Peace University. He also emphasized that this research has never been done in India and how this will advance to India’s inclusive and pluralistic society.
The findings will be presented in 2023 in New Delhi during the G20 Meeting hosted by India as well as presented in Pune at a tandem interfaith forum.